Shampoo can be drying for your hair, which is why conditioner is the post-shampoo step to restore hair’s moisture and optimize hair’s health. Want to know what are the best cruelty-free conditioners on the market? Below the 15 results.
Jump to: the 15 best cruelty-free conditioners.
What is Conditioner
Conditioner is a hydrating agent, made out of a combination of moisturizing ingredients (oils, emollients) and surfactants (soap, detergents). It hydrates, smooths and detangles hair. Conditioner makes hair easy to comb through and style. It reduces breakage and split ends, fights frizz and adds shine.
How To Use Conditioner
When you rinsed out your shampoo, squeeze out the excess water, so the conditioner doesn’t get too diluted. Apply conditioner to your ends + midshaft only. Leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes, which is the time it takes for the conditioner to adhere. Make sure you rinse out all conditioner to avoid product buildup.
There are a lot of different hair types with a lot of different needs. To make your beauty routine a little more animal-friendly, we’ve rounded up the 15 best cruelty-free conditioners for every hair type.
Vegan
Except for OUAI’s conditioner, the conditioners below are all vegan.
Index
- Clean conditioner: Drunk Elephant – Cocomino Marula Cream Conditioner VEGAN
- For damaged or chemically-treated hair: Olaplex – No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner VEGAN
- For colored hair: Pureology – Hydrate Condition VEGAN
- Leave-in conditioner for frizzy hair: Briogeo – Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray VEGAN
- For dry hair: Bumble and Bumble – Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner VEGAN
- Natural conditioner: Rahua – Classic Conditioner VEGAN
- For dandruff: Paul Mitchell – Tea Tree Special Conditioner VEGAN
- Best everyday conditioner: Verb – Ghost Conditioner VEGAN
- Leave-in conditioner for fine hair: SachaJuan – Leave in Conditioner VEGAN
- Thick hair: OUAI – THICK conditioner
- For damaged colored hair: Pureology – Strength Cure Conditioner VEGAN
- Curly hair: Aveda – Be Curly Conditioner VEGAN
- Fine hair: Living proof – Full conditioner VEGAN
- Blondes: Kevin Murphy – Blonde Angel Conditioner VEGAN
- Best leave-in conditioner for medium to coarse hair: Paul Mitchell – The Conditioner VEGAN
The 15 Best Cruelty-Free Conditioners For Every Hair Type
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1/15
Best clean conditioner:
Drunk Elephant – Cocomino Marula Cream Conditioner
VEGAN
Designed with hair and scalp in mind, this clean conditioner comes with a pH level of 3.5, making sure your scalp is left balanced and happy. Formulated with the brands signature ingredient Marula butter it delivers a fair amount of nourishment to your hair, yet feels surprisingly light-weight and doesn’t leave any product build-up behind. Made without fragrance AND essential oils, yet has a light and sweet natural scent.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, alcohol, synthetic fragrance, essential oils
Parent company: Drunk Elephant is owned by Shiseido, a company that is not cruelty-free.
2/15
Best conditioner for damaged or chemically-treated hair:
Olaplex – No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
VEGAN
An absolute fan favorite amongst those with chemically treated strands in need of some extra TLC. This restorative conditioner – as well as the rest of the iconic Olaplex at-home care line – targets breakage and strengthens each strand like no other. You only need the tiniest bit, so this bottle will last you months.
Note: the consistency is super thick. Especially if you have fine hair, make sure to only apply to your ends and mid-shaft and take the time to rinse out every last bit.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, alcohol, gluten
RELATED: The Best Cruelty-Free Shampoos for Dry and Damaged Hair
3/15
Best conditioner for colored hair:
Pureology – Hydrate Conditioner
VEGAN
With so many 5-star ratings across the internet, you know it is going to be good. Sulfate-free and designed with color treated hair in mind, this long-loved conditioner hydrates and softens strands without stripping color. It is made with Sunflower seed, a natural UV filter, to protect against color-fading environmental effects. The creamy formula is super concentrated, meaning you get a ton of uses from one bottle. Added bonus: the herbal-minty scent transforms your shower in a spa experience.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, sulfates SLS and SLES
Parent company: Pureology is owned by L’oréal, a company that is not cruelty-free.
4/15
Best leave-in conditioner for frizzy hair:
Briogeo – Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray
VEGAN
If frizz is a hair concern of yours, then a leave-in conditioner is a great idea. This rosehip, argan and coconut oils derived conditioning spray tames frizz and detangles. The non-greasy formula leaves hair soft and smooth without making it oily or flat. It can be used on wet and dry hair and doubles as a heat barrier to protect your strands from hot styling tools.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, gluten
5/15
Best conditioner for dry hair:
Bumble and Bumble – Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner
VEGAN
Does your hair crave for moisture? Formulated to fight dryness while adding smoothness, this blend of six oils leaves hair moisturized – never weighed down – and gives your strands a healthy silky soft appearance. It has a soft sweet scent that nostalgically reminds of candy necklaces.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, alcohol, mineral oil
Parent company: Bumble and bumble is owned by Estée Lauder, a brand that is not cruelty-free.
6/15
Best natural conditioner:
Rahua – Classic Conditioner
VEGAN
Do you prefer your hair care natural, without having to compromise on quality? Rahua’s Classic Conditioner manages to tick those boxes. The vegan silicone-free formula made with organic jojoba oil and green tea extract is very hydrating, yet never leaves an oily/greasy residue. The result? Soft, healthy and bouncy hair. The scent is light, warm and Rahua-ish.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, synthetic fragrance, gluten
7/15
Best conditioner for dry hair and scalp:
Paul Mitchell – Tea Tree Special Conditioner
VEGAN
Put hair and scalp at ease with this tea tree and peppermint infused conditioner. It hydrates and softens thirsty strands without putting weight on them and invigorates the scalp with a cooling sensation. If you suffer from scalp issues like psoriasis or dandruff, pair this up with the shampoo for even better results. Bonus points for the soothing spa-like scent.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, alcohol
8/15
Best everyday conditioner:
Verb – Ghost Conditioner
VEGAN
Knots and tangles belong to the past as this conditioner contains a variety of fast-absorbing oils to moisture and fortify your strands. It provides just the perfect amount of moisture and allows your hair to still have some body. Suitable for all hair types and gentle enough to use on a daily basis, which is why we say it is the best all round conditioner. It has a light and refreshing grapefruit scent.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates SLS and SLES, gluten
9/15
Best leave-in conditioner for fine hair:
SachaJuan – Leave In Conditioner
VEGAN
If you have fine hair that tends to get oily or greasy from oil-packed conditioners, then this light oil-free conditioner spray is the one for you. Formulated with red algae extract and silicones, it leaves dry strands ultra-smooth and frizz-free.
The fruity floral scent lingers for some time. If your sensitive too fragrances this may not be the leave-in for you.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben
10/15
Best conditioner for thick hair:
OUAI – Thick Conditioner
OUAI offers 3 conditioners to suit every hair type: fine, medium and thick. The thick conditioner is formulated with marshmallow root extract, shea butter and avocado oil, all working together to moisture and nourish dry thick hair. Expect soft, comb-able strands with a shiny frizz-free finish. The cream formula is super thick of which you only need a tiny bit, making this esthetically pleasing bottle last for months. Sensitive noses be warned, it leaves a floral sweet scent that lingers for days.
Free of: animal testing, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, mineral oil
11/15
Best conditioner for damaged colored hair:
Pureology – Strength Cure Conditioner
VEGAN
Have taken it a little too far with coloring? Pureology is here to rescue. The salon-quality conditioner does a great job at repairing damaged hair bonds and leaves hair super shiny. It also doesn’t take any effort to rinse this stuff out so you are never left with product residue. Formulated with Sunflower Seed, which works as a UV filter, it also protects your precious color from the sun.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates, mineral oil
Parent company: Pureology is owned by L’oréal, a company that is not cruelty-free.
12/15
Best conditioner for curly hair:
Aveda – Be Curly Conditioner
VEGAN
Curly girls get curlier with Aveda’s Be Curly Conditioner. The especially for curls designed conditioner deeply nourishes and enhances and defines curls and waves. The combination of wheat protein and aloe vera detangles, adds shine and keeps away the frizz. It comes with a fresh and natural citrusy scent. For the curliest curls, combine with the Be Curly Shampoo and the Be Curly Enhancer.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates SLS and SLES
Parent company: Aveda is owned by Estée Lauder, a company that is not cruelty-free.
13/15
Best conditioner for fine hair:
Living proof – Full Conditioner
VEGAN
Weightless yet deep conditioner that detangles and hydrates without making hair fall flat. Instead it leaves hair surprisingly volumized and lifted, making this the perfect conditioner for fine, limp hair. It has a zesty salon scent that isn’t overpowering. To amplify the volume, use it along with the Full Shampoo.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, alcohol
*Living Proof is not a 100% vegan brand, but they do offer vegan products of which this product is one of them.
Parent company: Living Proof is owned by Unilever, a company that is not cruelty-free.
14/15
Best conditioner for blondes:
Kevin Murphy – Blonde Angel Conditioner
VEGAN
Blondes say bye to brassy tones with this cult-favorite conditioner of Kevin Murphy. If purple shampoo is too drying for your hair, conditioner can keep down the brassiness just as good. Use it together with the Blonde Angle shampoo, for an extra cooling effect. The conditioner leaves hair soft and manageable. Kevin Murphy’s bottles are not the biggest, but their products are very concentrated, so you only need a little bit to get the job done.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates SLS and SLES
15/15
Best leave-in conditioner for medium to coarse hair:
Paul Mitchell – The Conditioner
VEGAN
This cult classic post-shower leave-in treatment has been around for a while and still makes it into the best conditioners lists. The gel-cream spreads easily and melts into your hair. It hydrates and detangles and leaves hair smooth and shapeable. It has an herbal masculine aroma, which for sensitive noses can be off-putting.
Free of: animal testing, animal (by)products, paraben, sulfates SLS and SLES, silicones, alcohol, gluten
More Cruelty-Free Hair:
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